Israeli media outlets released a video on Monday evening showing the moment Palestinian resistance fighters captured the Israeli soldier Nimrod Cohen from inside his tank during the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, 2023.
The footage documents members of the Palestinian resistance — specifically Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas — detaining Cohen and taking him into the Gaza Strip.
For the first time, the published clips reveal scenes of Israeli soldiers being seized from within their own tanks during the unprecedented operation launched by Al-Qassam on that October morning.
Mounting Pressure on Netanyahu’s Government
The release of this footage comes at a sensitive moment, just before large-scale protests organised by families of Israeli captives. The families aim to pressure the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a deal that would secure the release of the captives and bring an end to the nearly two-year war on Gaza.
These demonstrations coincide with a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet (the “kabinett”) to discuss Hamas’s acceptance of a mediator-brokered proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the army’s controversial plan to occupy Gaza City.
In a statement carried by Israeli outlets, the captives’ families declared:
“We call for intensifying the struggle to bring our loved ones home through a massive day of civilian solidarity. The vast majority of the people of Israel want our loved ones back. The deliberate stalling in reaching a deal contradicts the will of the people and its core values.”
The planned protests, under the slogan “Israel Stands as One”, are set to begin in the morning with giant flags raised outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. Demonstrations will then spread across Israel with road-blocking actions, mass processions, and protest vigils, culminating in a major rally in the so-called “Hostages’ Square” in Tel Aviv.
Imbalance of Captivity
According to Israeli estimates, 50 Israelis remain in Gaza, with only about 20 believed to be alive. In contrast, Israel holds over 10,800 Palestinian prisoners, subjected to torture, starvation, and deliberate medical neglect that has already claimed the lives of many, according to both Palestinian and Israeli human rights reports.
Ongoing Genocide in Gaza
Backed by the United States, the Israeli military has continued its genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023 — a campaign of killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement in defiance of international appeals and binding orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the atrocities.
